Whispering_Jack

... and you don't think Joel Smith is good enough to get into the starting five?

And Snoop Dog's rookie draft # 8 Melbourne - Dylan Whimpress / South Adelaide / 185cm / 74kg # 25 Melbourne - Quinton Narkle / Perth / 180cm / 73kg # 39 Melbourne - Tyson Stengle / WWT / 171cm / 69kg

# 70 Melbourne - Tony Olango / NT / 197cm / 82kg Bit of a fan of this bloke and behind English is probably my best ruck prospect. He is really raw but he ticks a lot of boxes. Incredibly athletic, good leap, good endurance and speed and can be effective when the ball is on the ground. Seen him dodge through traffic like a mid and he seems to use the ball within his limitations. Will take time but he has a few things to work with Who else – Oscar McInerney

Snoop Dog's Melbourne selection - 53 Melbourne – Esava Ratugolea / Murray Bushrangers / 194cm / 94kg Gap between his best and worst is significant. Must remember he is raw talent and hasn’t been playing that long. Really athletic type whose leading patterns are going to need work but he has the speed to create distance between he and his defender and he can take a mark. Usually a pretty good shot at goal but been times when he is really wayward such as the champs but I kind of think nerves got a hold of him. If doesn’t work out as a forward he has the ability to play some different roles but at pick 53 a guy that can play forward and ruck might be a good choice. Bit bold but Melbourne usually are. They need some more depth in this area though. Who else – Thought long and hard about Darcy Cameron here as a mature option and Mitch McCarthy as a development prospect.

You can see it here but I doubt whether anyone on his list falls all the way to our first pick at #47 or whatever - TOP 50 PROSPECTS FOR 2016 AFL DRAFT – 1-25

Knightmare's latest - Knightmare's updated AFL phantom draft: Who goes where, and when?

If they were to lose picks 15 and 37 then they would have picks 2, 39, 45, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 77, 109, 127 and 145. This would most likely have the effect of forcing GWS into points deficit next year but they would still be able to get most of the academy members they want to select. I somehow think however, that with GWS' threats of legal action against any sanctions, nothing will happen to the AFL's pet project.

And now for Matt Balmer's 2016 Final AFL Draft Power Rankings.

I take that as a confession on your part and, in accordance with the AFL sanctions policy, ban you from posting for one month backdated to 1 October, 2016.

May I respectfully bring to the attention of posters here that we have now adopted a new regime on derailing threads. The rules are being brought in restrospectively so our team of moderators will start work on Monday at page 1. The process is expected to last about six weeks at the end of which the thread should be reduced to no more than four pages. We look forward to your assistance and co-operation in assisting us with this task. Thank you.

First of all, on Watson's decision to hand back the Brownlow Medal, I say that it's about time. In fact, a decision delayed by three years and five months since the day he admitted this - Jobe Watson admits to injecting banned drug AOD-9604 ESSENDON captain Jobe Watson last night made the stunning admission he took the banned substance AOD-9604, but the reigning Brownlow medallist remains adamant he did nothing wrong. The star onballer said he took the anti-obesity drug after signing a consent form. "I signed that consent form and my understanding, after it being given through (club doctor) Bruce Reid and the club, that I was receiving AOD," he told Fox Sports program On The Couch. Asked if he thought the substance was legal when he was taking it, Watson replied: "that it was legal at the time and that was actually what I was told I was being given." The brazen admission by Watson that he took this now almost forgotten (in the context of this entire controversy) peptide defines the essence of his and the other 33 players' wrongdoing. They might have thought it to be legal based on what they were told but what steps did they take outside the club regime to determine it to be so and why did Watson so confidently make this statement when a very simple search would have revealed AOD-9604 was not an approved substance under the WADA Code even at the time of making the statement? It's true that ASADA later chose not to pursue the AOD-9604 line and went after the players on the "safer" ground of TB4 but the former has never been fully explained or resolved. Why did ASADA drop AOD-9604? WADA boss wants review The statements made by Watson on the programme were breathtakingly arrogant and, when I look at the explanation in the CAS judgement as reported in January, 2016 about the responsibilities of the players in terms of what they allow to be ingested into their bodies, it confirms the view that the players cheated and deserved to be sanctioned. Even in his statement handing back the medal, Watson showed no remorse and in doing so, he was being consistent with the way he regarded his situation in June 2013. I don't believe he was being honourable in any way whatsoever. Secondly, once you expunge Watson as Brownlow Medal winner then it would be an injustice to those who cleanly polled the most votes for them not to be given what is rightfully their award. Jared Tallent deserved to be awarded the Olympic Gold once it was clear that the walker who crossed the line was a drug cheat. The AFL would be acting inconsistently if it failed to follow the same practice as the IOC. Watson might well prefer this because an asterisk against the year would forever draw attention to the drug saga in which he was involved.

VP. This is the year that GWS are invested in four or five high quality academy selections and they've positioned themselves in a way they can use selection #2 to get McCluggage or McGrath. Draft sanctions would be a complete disaster this year but next year they might not be so well placed. Hence, a delay (already 19 months after the incident in question took place) is going to be very helpful for them and more so for the AFL. As the Poet Laureate of the Vogon nation once opined: "Justice delayed is Justice denied."

My volume of The Great Deepression arrived today beautifully timed to coincide with a portend of what could well become the next Great Depression in the form of the result of the US Presidential election. My volume looks sensational - well done Adam. I look forward to reading it from cover to cover.

Agree they have no requirement to impose draft or any other sanctions if they decide they're not approporiate - the delay however, means they don't even have to consider them which is most convenient.

The first two delisted free agents were taken before the end of DFA1 - Michael Barlow and Ricky Henderson join Gold Coast and Hawthorn respectively. Neither of these selections is particularly surprising. Barlow's experience will help at the Suns who are going to collect a great deal of youth from the draft. The Hawks will probably get Henderson's career back on track after a poor season with the Crows.

The limited list allowed to train in the first couple of weeks of the preseason will be back in action this morning at Gosch's Paddock at 9.30am. Things remain at a low key at present but the observations of those who can make it out to the Paddock are, as usual, most welcome.

It's all so very convenient for the AFL to not have to make a decision on the Whitfield case at this particular time. With so much of the GWS Giants draft strategy based on academy selections, for the AFL to ban them from a round or two of this year's draft (as it has done in the past with clubs that offended against its rules) would play absolute havoc with the system. This year's draft is already tainted as a consequence of the decision made earlier this year on Essendon's draft position after 12 of its players were banned as drug cheats. Now, with the Giants holding second pick and with the delays giving them immunity from possible draft sanctions the draft is further compromised. This is the way the AFL operates.

And tomorrow's another day. Upcoming open training sessions: Wednesday, November 9, Gosch's Paddock - 9.30am Friday, November 11, Gosch's Paddock - 9.30am All other training sessions are closed as is this thread. Thanks folks.

Actually, the answer is yes and no. A number of posts on this thread have been deleted by the moderators mainly because they are either offensive, off topic or attempts to derail the thread. A couple of posters have received warnings. There will be bans of at least one month placed automatically on repeat offenders. That said, we can live with some lighthearted banter from time to time as long as it's in good spirit.

As a sideline to this whole controversy, it seems that Stephen Dank's defamation cases against the Nine Network have gone down the toilet* because the man failed to turn up to court/comply with orders - Case dismissed. Dank was ordered to pay Nine's costs of and incidental to each of the proceedings and I wish them the best of luck with that. * most likely the same toilet down which Essendon's drug records were flushed around four and a half years ago.

Not me - it's enough keeping up with the now 100s of changes on the OP>

Seems that MFC Twitter has also recognised Saty at the opening of training:- "It wouldn’t be the first day of the pre-season without an appearance from training regular @Demonpk! ? #myheartbeatstrue" And a picture with Demonpk dressed to the nines and standing next to a bloke who I can only opine is a bodyguard. Sorry, don't know how to reproduce the picture. Anyway, please keep the reports and views coming. They're most welcome - from all posters who go to the sessions and make their observations. Thanks.

A brief reading of that draft suggests that the experts at AFL Draft Central aren't up with the latest. They have Melbourne taking Oscar McInerney with their third pick which looks reserved (unless something unusual happens) for the Josh Wagner rookie upgrade. They also have GWS matching a bid for academy player Max Lynch who hasn't been nominated as an academy selection.

What are we looking for in a ruckman? We already have the current AA ruckman and a 27 year old mature back up. We've just delisted a player who we tried to develop as a ruck/forward and invested three years into him - and failed. We also have Mitch King who starts his development time at the club and at the same time will spend a fair amount of time this year in recovery from his second ACL. Another youngster to develop over time is definitely someone we want. Here's his coach's assessment from Inside Football - Peter Ladhams 14/1/98 202.6cm 93.8kg Norwood "Peter was an AFL level two academy member this year. Had a difficult year given his performances at the academy weren't great but when he came back after some feedback from Brenton Sanderson he knuckled down, shaved his dreadlocks and changed the way he felt about himself and gave other people a different look at him. At 202cm can play ruck/forward, he had a great Under 18 campaign and played well in our Under 18s and got a crack reserves level. Tested well at the state combine so his physical attributes are good. I think there are some clubs considering him again after perhaps being not too sure earlier in the year. I reckon Pete will play AFL football at some stage." - Norwood talent manager and Under 18 coach Robbie Neil Strengths: athleticism, size NTI: consistency

I would think that this recruitment might have been influenced by Brendan McCartney from his time at Geelong. He has an eye for good operators and good quality people.